Country Advice Congo (Democratic Republic – ex-Zaire)

Congo (Democratic Republic – ex-Zaire) – COD39465 – – Chief of Police – Kabila Government – 26 October 2011

1. Please provide background information on John Numbi.

John Numbi began public life as the commander of the youth militia of Laurent Kabila‟s Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI) in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In eastern DRC, Numbi helped Kabila establish a number of militant groups which fought in the 1998-199 war to oust the regime of , including the Popular Self-Defence Forces (FAP), the Hearts of Steel (Moyo wa Chuma) and the Mai-Mai. Numbi was later promoted to military commander of Katanga and then air force commander of the DRC.1

Upon his appointment to air force commander, one of Numbi‟s roles was to help disband the FAP and absorb the Mai-Mai into the DRC army; something he was either unwilling or unable to do. Numbi was subsequently removed as air force commander in June 2007; however he was quickly appointed the head of the National Police.2 Numbi reportedly has close family connections with senior Mai-Mai commanders and has been implicated in illegal arms transfers to the Mai-Mai, in contravention of a embargo.3

After the death of Laurent Kabila in 2001, John Numbi became a member of „La Présidence‟, the inner circle of advisers surrounding Kabila‟s son and successor as President, .4 In 2007, the International Crisis Group (ICG) described John Numbi as a member of a group of „hardliners‟ within this inner circle. The ICG argues that a „mostly impotent‟ government has allowed Numbi, as well as Raymond Tshibanda, Samba Kaputo, Denis Kalume and Marcellin Cishambo to control “the security apparatus and mining concessions” in the DRC, using “coercion and corruption as the main tools of governance, putting the fragile foundations of the nascent Congolese democracy in peril”.5

1 International Crisis Group 2006, Katanga: The Congo’s Forgotten Crisis, Crisis Group Africa Report N°103, 9 January, pp.2-3 2 International Crisis Group 2007, Congo: Consolidating the Peace, Crisis Group Africa Report N°128, 5 July, p.13, p.21, footnote 123 3 International Crisis Group 2006, Katanga: The Congo’s Forgotten Crisis, Crisis Group Africa Report N°103, 9 January, pp.2-3 4 Justaert, A. 2011, „The Governance of Police Reform in the DR Congo: Reform Without Alignment?‟, The Nordic Africa Institute, June, p.14 http://www.nai.uu.se/ecas-4/panels/101-120/panel-104/Arnout-Justaert-full-paper.pdf – Accessed 25 October 2011 5 International Crisis Group 2007, Congo: Consolidating the Peace, Crisis Group Africa Report N°128, 5 July, p.9

Page 1 of 4 In 2009, Numbi was accused of engineering a conflict in Congo to help eliminate members of the DRC‟s main opposition party, the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC).6 However, a May 2011 report for the Council on Foreign Relations suggests that his role does not necessarily extend to preserving the presidency of Joseph Kabila. The author of the report, Joshua Marks, argues that “[t]he government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) led by President Joseph Kabila faces the prospect of collapse”. However, Marks identifies John Numbi as a possible participant in any potential coup to depose Kabila and preserve the power of the DRC for himself and his Katangan allies:

In Katanga province, for example, Katangan members of the Republican Guard that is tasked with protecting the president and his premises could initiate a revolt that spreads to other Katangan police and military units. Encouraged by presidential ally John Numbi or another politically ambitious elite with influence in the security forces, these elements could then launch a violent coup in , throwing into disarray President Kabila‟s personal security detail and possibly deposing him.7

In 2009, John Numbi was described by one source as “one of Congo‟s most dangerous men”. The source also states that Numbi has strong connections to the Rwandan military, including Defence Minister , and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.8

In 2010, while still head of the National Police, Numbi was named in connection with the murder of Floribert Chebeya, head of the Congolese non-government organisation (NGO) Voice of the Voiceless (VSV) in June of that year. Mr Chebeya‟s driver, Fidele Bazana, is still missing and is presumed dead. Chebeya was reportedly last seen alive on his way to a meeting with Numbi in Kinshasa. Four policemen have since been found guilty of Chebeya‟s murder and sentenced to death, including “Col Daniel Mukalay, the chief of police intelligence at the time of Mr Chebeya‟s death”. A fifth policeman was sentenced to life in prison, while a further three were acquitted. Numbi has not faced charges, however is currently suspended as police chief while further investigations take place.9 Aljazeera reported that “an adviser at the interior ministry” told that General John Numbi was suspended to prevent any obstructions to an investigation into the killings; “[Inspector- General] John Numbi was suspended so that the attorney-general can focus on his enquiries smoothly and make sure nothing gets in the way of the investigations”.10

According to Agence France Presse (AFP), Chebeya‟s VSV group argues that Numbi “is the chief suspect in the death and has accused the government of „denial of justice‟ by placing the case with a military court which does not have jurisdiction to try the police chief. The court can only try officers from the rank of colonel down.” AFP relays the VSV belief that “leading

6 Snow, K.H. 2009, „Belgian Paratroopers to Crush Rising Congo Rebellion?‟ Beni-Lubero Online, 8 December http://www.benilubero.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1730:belgian-paratroopers-to-crush- rising-congo-rebellion&catid=31:english-version&Itemid=67 – Accessed 25 October 2011 7 Marks, J. 2011, Crisis in the Congo, Council on Foreign Relations, Contingency Planning Memorandum No.11, p.1 http://i.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/CPA_contingencymemo_11.pdf – Accessed 25 October 2011 8 Snow, K.H. 2009, „Belgian Paratroopers to Crush Rising Congo Rebellion?‟ Beni-Lubero Online, 8 December http://www.benilubero.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1730:belgian-paratroopers-to-crush- rising-congo-rebellion&catid=31:english-version&Itemid=67 – Accessed 25 October 2011 9 „DR Congo: Floribert Chebeya killers sentenced to death‟ 2011, BBC News, 23 June http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13895771 – Accessed on 30 June 2011 10 „DR Congo suspends police chief‟ 2010, Aljazeera, 6 June http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/06/201066151023866458.html – Accessed 8 June 2010

Page 2 of 4 business and political figures have promised that Numbi will be protected from prosecution in the affair.”11

The US Department of State (USDOS) reported in April 2011 that 80 NGOs and “several rule of law experts” have “serious concerns about the credibility and independence of the investigation and the trial”. USDOS also added that “dozens of civil society members alleged that Numbi continued to perform official duties despite the official suspension”.12

11 „DR. Congo police to appear in court over killing‟ 2010, Agence France Presse, 10 November 12 US Department of State 2011, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2010: Democratic Republic of the Congo, 8 April Section 1.d

Page 3 of 4 References „DR Congo suspends police chief‟ 2010, Aljazeera, 6 June http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/06/201066151023866458.html – Accessed 8 June 2010. (CISNET DRC CX244732)

„DR Congo: Floribert Chebeya killers sentenced to death‟ 2011, BBC News, 23 June http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13895771 – Accessed on 30 June 2011. (CISNET DRC CX267806)

„DR. Congo police to appear in court over killing‟ 2010, Agence France Presse, 10 November. (CISNET DRC CX253253)

International Crisis Group 2006, Katanga: The Congo’s Forgotten Crisis, Crisis Group Africa Report N°103, 9 January.

International Crisis Group 2007, Congo: Consolidating the Peace, Crisis Group Africa Report N°128, 5 July.

Justaert, A. 2011, „The Governance of Police Reform in the DR Congo: Reform Without Alignment?‟ The Nordic Africa Institute, June http://www.nai.uu.se/ecas-4/panels/101-120/panel- 104/Arnout-Justaert-full-paper.pdf – Accessed 25 October 2011.

Marks, J. 2011, Crisis in the Congo, Council on Foreign Relations, Contingency Planning Memorandum No.11 http://i.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/CPA_contingencymemo_11.pdf – Accessed 25 October 2011.

Snow, K.H. 2009, „Belgian Paratroopers to Crush Rising Congo Rebellion?‟ Beni-Lubero Online, 8 December http://www.benilubero.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1730:belgian- paratroopers-to-crush-rising-congo-rebellion&catid=31:english-version&Itemid=67 – Accessed 25 October 2011.

US Department of State 2011, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2010: Democratic Republic of the Congo, 8 April.

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